How to Prepare your Car to Sell at a Dealership

How to Prepare your Car to Sell at a Dealership

Posted on August 4, 2021

If you’re planning to sell your old car to a dealership, preparation is key to ensure you get the best deal. As this is the new way to sell cars, we thought we would provide a few tips to prepare your car to sell at a dealership.

We asked our Guelph auto loans team to come up with some simple, cheap fixes you could make to prepare your car to sell to sell at a dealership so it either gets a little more money or stands a much higher chance of being sold.

Here is what they came up with.

These are cheap and easy fixes that will make your car more appealing to a dealership appraiser. Essentially, the less work the dealership has to do to recondition the car for resale, the more likely they are to buy it.

That’s what this post seeks to achieve.

Lights and bulbs

Checking your car’s lights takes a couple of minutes and can make a big difference to how the car appears to an appraiser. Changing a bulb shouldn’t take much longer and you can buy replacements in most automotive stores for just a few dollars.

Check headlights, turn signals, brake lights, reversing lights and fog lights. Don’t forget interior lights either!

Tires

You should always keep your tires in good condition whether you’re selling the car to a dealer or not. It’s the only part of the car that touches the road so need to be kept in good order.

Check tire condition, tire wear and check each as much as possible for damage. Don’t forget to check the spare tire if you have one too.

Engine bay

Take a critical look at the engine bay. Are the rubber pipes in good condition? Does the air filter need changing? Could the engine bay do with a clean? Do the belts look in good condition?

It’s quick and easy to change some of the pipes and is one less job for the dealer to do. Give the engine bay a wipe over too so the appraiser can clearly see the condition.

If you have the ability to change the oil and filter, do that too. While the appraiser won’t see it, your engine should run smoother with new oil, which they will notice.

Windshield wipers

Cracked or broken wipers are such a simple fix yet many sellers forget. Check the condition of your front and rear wipers and change the rubber blades if necessary.

They are available in most automotive stores for cheap and should clip easily in and out. It’s a small detail but something that can make quite the difference when it comes time to value the car.

Dings and scratches

Dings and scratches on used cars are part of the experience. They are also relatively easy to fix. Use a professional bodywork repair service if you need to or use touch-up paint yourself if you have a steady hand.

Either way, the better your bodywork looks, the more likely the dealer is to buy your car!

Contact Unique Chrysler for help, advice and competitive Guelph car finance and leasing.

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